Photos: 20 food-poisoning dangers

Digital Vision, Thinkstock10.03.2011

Listeria: Deli meats, hot dogs and meat pates. Foods infects with listeria look, smell and taste completely normal, and the bacteria is one of those rare bugs that can even grow on foods stored in the refrigerator. If eaten, the bacteria can cause vomiting, diarrhea, nausea, cramps, headaches, fever and constipation; for those who develop the most serious form of listeriosis, symptoms can take up to 70 days to appear. To avoid infection, Health Canada recommends keeping your fridge's temperature at below 4 degrees, cleaning it regularly and paying close attention to best-before dates.

Digital Vision
/ Thinkstock

Listeria: Unpasteurized dairy products. Listeriosis can be treated with antibiotics, but early detection is key to heading off serious complications in the elderly and those with compromised immune systems. Health Canada recommends avoiding unpasteurized milk and cheeses and suggests washing your hands and kitchen surfaces thoroughly before and after food preparation.

Salmonella: Poultry and eggs. Undercooked chicken and eggs are two things most home cooks know to avoid at all costs. Without thorough heating, these foods can transmit salmonella, which can lead to fever, chills, nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting. Most people recover without treatment, but in a small number of cases the bacteria can spread to the bloodstream, causing severe illness or even death.Reuters Files
/ Postmedia News

Salmonella: Shrimp and fish. To avoid contracting salmonellosis, Health Canada recommends never placing cooked meats and fishes on dishes that have been touched by raw foods. You should always wash your hands before and after preparing food and after using the bathroom or coming into contact with any animals.Darren Calabrese
/ National Post

E. coli: Ground beef. Escherichia coli bacteria naturally live in the bowels of animals like cattle and poultry, and most strains are completely harmless to human beings. But a few rare strains can cause serious illness when they're transferred to the outer surface of meat during the butchering process, and processing will spread bacteria throughout the food. That's why it's much more important to cook processed meats like ground beef all the way through, rather than leaving them pink in the middle. If someone serves you an undercooked hamburger, Health Canada suggests you send it back.Handout
/ Vancouver Sun

E. coli: Untreated water. As the tragic deaths of seven people in Walkerton, Ont. confirmed, if water isn't treated properly it could contain potentially deadly strains of E. coli. Health Canada says you should only drink water when you're sure it's been chemically treated or boiled.VOISHMEL
/ AFP/Getty Images

Scombrotoxin: Fish. Scombroid poisoning is usually caused by eating infected fish like tuna, mackerel, bluefish, dolphin, mahi-mahi and amberjacks. Symptoms usually begin with an allergic response including flushed face and sweating, a burning-peppery taste sensation in the mouth and throat, and dizziness, nausea and headache. The most severe cases can lead to blurred vision, trouble breathing and a swollen tongue. According to the American Food and Drug Administration, scombroid poisoning is caused by spoiled fish, so care should always be taken to choose fresh fish and immediately freeze fresh catches.Gavin Newman / AFP / Getty Images
/ National Post

C. perfringens: Stews and other slow-cooked foods. Clostridium perfringens outbreaks usually happen in places like hospitals, nursing homes and prisons and have been linked to food that is cooked for several hours at low temperatures. The bacteria can cause bloating, severe stomach pain, watery diarrhea and loss of appetite. Cooking at high temperatures won't kill C. perfringens spores once they've formed, so stews and sauces should always be cooked thoroughly and kept at high temperatures or refrigerated.Handout
/ Foodland Ontario

Shigella: Salads. Shigella bacteria naturally live only in the bowels of humans and other primates, so infections are usually caused by poor sanitation and improper hand-washing. Oysters and shellfish from contaminated water and vegetables harvested from fields touched by sewage are big carriers of the bacteria, making salads a hotbed for infection. Symptoms of the bacteria are similar to many other food-borne illnesses, but a small number of people can develop Reiter's syndrome, which can lead to chronic arthritis.Kim Stallknecht
/ PNG

Botulism: Home-canned foods. Botulism is caused by a rare nerve poison produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum and can lead to paralysis or even death. The bacteria are heat resistant and thrive in oxygen-free spaces, making them the scourge of the home canner. To keep your family safe, make sure your canning equipment is up-to-date and you follow the latest instructions word-for-word, Health Canada says. Keep work surfaces, hands and tools clean, and if you're buying canned goods from a store, avoid bulging or dented cans.File photo
/ Burnaby NOW

Campylobacter: Raw or undercooked meat. Campylobacter jejuni bacteria can cause the usual food poisoning symptoms of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, but it has also been associated with development of an autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barré syndrome, meningitis, reactive arthritis and irritable bowl syndrome. To avoid these potentially life-altering consequences, Health Canada suggests that all meat should be cooked all the way through; use a meat thermometer to be absolutely sure.TROY FLEECE
/ REGINA LEADER-POST

Noroviruses: Improper food handling. Noroviruses, including the one that causes Norwalk disease, can be found in the stool or vomit or infected people and are highly contagious -- hence the occasional outbreaks in hospitals and seniors' care facilities. Health Canada says the disease is most often spread by kitchen workers who don't wash their hands properly before touching food. Proper hygiene is key to preventing the spread of the disease, especially after changing babies' diapers.THOMAS LOHNES
/ AFP/Getty Images

Ciguatera poisoning: Fish. According to the Fraser Health Authority, ciguatera poisoning is both under-reported and under-diagnosed in Canada. It's usually caused by marine biotoxins from dinoflagellates found mainly in tropical waters but the disease has shown up in Surrey residents who have eaten locally purchased rock cod. Symptoms of poisoning including vomiting and nausea, as well as neurological effects like dry mouth, blurred vision and respiratory paralysis. To avoid this illness, purchase tropical fish species only from reputable sources.Handout
/ National Post

Paralytic shellfish poisoning: Oysters and other shellfish. Bivalves like clams, mussels, scallops and oysters can carry the sometimes-deadly toxins that lead to PSP. Poisoning can lead to numbness in the face, dizziness, drowsiness and even cause temporary blindness, incoherent speech and respiratory difficulties. In the most severe cases, PSP can stop the breathing completely and lead to death within hours. Cooking doesn't destroy the toxins, and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recommends you see a doctor immediately if symptoms develop.Les Bazso
/ PNG

Hepatitis A: Improper food preparation. Hepatitis can cause severe inflammation of the liver and is spread from person-to-person through contact with feces. Serious hand-washing is absolutely necessary for kitchen workers to prevent contamination. Health Canada also recommends that travellers take extra precations while abroad to prevent infection, including drinking water from a safe supply, refusing ice cubes in drinks and eating only freshly cooked foods.Colleen De Neve
/ Calgary Herald

Vibrios: Shellfish. Vibrio bacteria thrive in brackish waters on the coast of Canada and the U.S. and include the strain that causes cholera. V. vulnificus can cause abnormally low blood pressure, making it a definite concern for people with other health problems. Health Canada recommends always buying shellfish from reputable suppliers and never eating undercooked shellfish -- including raw oysters.Google Images
/ Google Images

Photos: 20 food-poisoning dangers

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